Hard question - but I'd have to say it's a choice between 'On the Road', which I found a big turn oin when I read it about 30 years ago or so, and 'Desolation Angels' which is the book of Jackie's that I have to say moved me the most inside. Christ, he was a great writer...
I only read On the Road and Tristessa. I honestly can't say I preferred one over the other On the Road was great but got tedious toward the end. Tristessa was obscure, but had absolutely wonderful language. The plot was almost irrelevant, such was the beauty of his prose.
I had trouble with the sexism in Dharma Bums but enjoyed most of the book very much. I also liked Some of the Dharma (I think that is the title-its been awhile its the big fat book of notes on Buddhism which I gave to a hippy friend to make her smile) and Scripture of the Golden Eternity, and his short story of why his cat was cool:-D It is a drag that his end was so sad and lonely..... bb Delfynasa now I have to go back and try to finish Desolation Angels, couldn't get into it the first time.
I have a life goal to hike to that lake in the Sierras that they went to in Dharma Bums. That and to read Howl out loud outside the City Lights bookstore in San Francisco. bb Delfynasa
I absolutely loved Dharma Bums! My mom read it in college for a literature class and when I got in touch with the hippy side of myself she suggested it to me. She said she didn't think she ever finished it, because she couldn't get in tune with the Buddhism in it. But that was my favorite part! I think Japhy made the whole book feel relaxed...I hated it when he left. The only problem I had was with Princess and how women were portreyed. As a feminist, I didn't like how the women only seemed like sexual objects. However, he did grow up in the 40s and 50s, so while I don't like it, I understand it.
Hello, jepp, every author is a child if his own time. Even later in the hippie movement or in the civil rights movement women were often only 'decoration'. They did typical women jobs and were often not heard in discussions etc. And looking at todays free software movement for instance, we have to ask about the changes that took place in the last decades. I don't know much about the feminists view of the world , but I guess there is plenty of room to improve the situation. Anyway, back to the books. Since yesterday I'm re-reading Dharma Bums. Knowing this book and On The Road I prefer Dharma Bums for some reason that I can't describe exactly. Regards Gyro
i just got done reading a collaborative novel from jack kerouac and william s. burroughs called "and the hippos were boiled in their tanks" it was written about ten years before anyone knew about either of them and its really great stuff i recommend it to any kerouac/burroughs fans
though quite short, i really enjoyed "the subterraneans". beyond that, it's a toss-up. basically he was the master of free-style prose. i owe alot of my poetry style to his influence.